attended the Conference as
observers.
PREAMBLE
The Wadden Sea extends over
parts of the territories of the Netherlands, the Federal Republic
of Germany and Denmark. The three countries cooperate to protect
and conserve the Wadden Sea as an ecological entity, on the basis
of the Joint Declaration on the Protection
of the Wadden Sea, which was signed in 1982 at the Third
Trilateral Governmental Conference. The trilateral Wadden Sea
cooperation has developed into a close cooperation involving
all levels of government and is supported by a permanent common
secretariat. Trilateral Governmental Conferences on the Protection
of the Wadden Sea are normally held every three years.
During the last decade the Wadden Sea has been protected through
a series of national initiatives so that now a chain of nature
reserves, protected areas and national parks exists from Den
Helder in the Netherlands, along the German North Sea Coast and
the islands to Esbjerg in Denmark. In addition, the Wadden Sea
has been included in the List of Wetlands of International Importance.
The participants:
- note that progress has been made to protect the Wadden
Sea on a national as well as on an international basis;
- remain fully committed to implement the decisions of the 5th
Governmental Conference and will continue their efforts intensively;
- note that the importance of the Wadden Sea for the North Sea
has been recognized at the North Sea Conferences, and remain
committed to implement fully the decisions of these conferences
without delay. Further, they will continue to give high priority
to the implementation of the measures which have a special significance
for the Wadden Sea, as contained in Annex 4 of the Ministerial
Declaration of the Third North Sea Conference;
- welcome the decisions of the North Sea Conferences to further
reduce the inputs of hazardous substances and nutrients entering
the North Sea via direct inputs, rivers and the atmosphere, and
to phase out PCBs and hazardous PCB-substitutes;
- underline the importance of the 1993 working group meeting
at the ministerial level on the Protection of the North Sea which,
amongst others, will address problems encountered with the implementation
of the Ministerial Declaration of the Third North Sea Conference
with regard to shipping, nutrients and pesticides;
- conscious that the Wadden Sea is an area where people live,
work and recreate and note that there is therefore a need for
a common strategy concerning human use within the area;
- note that within the framework of the Ramsar Convention, contracting
parties are making progress with respect to the conservation
of wetlands and their wise use and that the Wadden Sea is becoming
a model for the cooperation of contracting parties on shared
wetlands.
The participants further:
- welcome the growing interest in the Wadden Sea of governmental
and inter-governmental organizations and of states which do not
border the region, in particular the Commission of the European
Community, the Ramsar Convention and English Nature;
- appreciate the continuous efforts of non-governmental organizations
in the field of protection and conservation within the Wadden
Sea and have taken notice of their recommendations to the conference;
- underline the importance of the Working Conferences on Nature
Management of the Wadden Sea, in particular the Working Conferences
on salt marshes (1988), dunes (1991) and wardening (1991), and
the 7th International Scientific Wadden Sea Symposium (1990),
and welcome the recommendations of these Conferences as useful
contributions to the protection of the Wadden Sea.
The 5th Trilateral Governmental Conference on the Protection
of the Wadden Sea in 1988, called for the development of common
approaches to a conservation policy based upon the wise use concept.
According to the definition of wise use, as formulated by the
contracting parties to the Ramsar Convention, the natural potentials
of the ecosystem must be maintained for present and future generations.
A common Wadden Sea conservation policy based upon the wise use
concept must therefore define the natural potentials of the Wadden
Sea ecosystem and maintain these potentials.
The World Commission on Environment and Development - the Brundtland
Commission - calls for a transition to a sustainable development
by the year 2000. The participants acknowledge that they have
a global responsibility to protect the Wadden Sea and its natural
properties for present and future generations and they are committed
to achieving such a sustainable development.
The assessment of the current state of the Wadden Sea leads to
the conclusion that, although considerable progress in the field
of nature and environmental protection both on a national as
well as on an international level has been made, the quality
of the ecosystem needs to be significantly improved in order
to restore and maintain its natural potentials.
The participants considered the progress made in the implementation
of the obligations ensuing from the legal instruments mentioned
in the Joint Declaration on the Protection of the Wadden Sea
in 1982. They:
- note that an important part of these obligations has been implemented;
- accept that in order to achieve further progress in protecting
the Wadden Sea as an ecological entity, it is necessary to further
specify the basis of the trilateral cooperation, define the common
objectives and direct these into common principles of approach
and action.
The participants therefore decided to adopt the following common
guiding principles and objectives:
COMMON PRINCIPLES
1 The guiding principle of the trilateral Wadden Sea policy
is to achieve, as far as possible, a natural and sustainable
ecosystem in which natural processes proceed in an undisturbed
way.
2 This principle aims at
(I) maintaining the water movements and the attendant geomorphological
and pedological processes;
(ii) improving the quality of water, sediment and air to levels
that are not harmful for the ecosystem;
(iii) safeguarding and optimizing the conditions for flora and
fauna including
- preservation of the Wadden Sea as a nursery area for North
Sea fish;
- conservation of the feeding, breeding, moulting and roosting
areas of birds, and the birth and resting areas of seals as well
as the prevention of disturbance in these areas;
- conservation of the salt marshes and dunes;
(iv) maintaining the scenic qualities of the landscape, in particular
the variety of landscape types and the specific features of the
wide, open scenery including the perception of nature and landscape.
3 The common policies as laid down in the Joint Declaration
on the Protection of the Wadden Sea from 1982, will be further
implemented based on:
(i) the Principle of Careful Decision Making, i.e. to
take decisions on the basis of the best available information;
(ii) the Principle of Avoidance, i.e. activities which
are potentially damaging to the Wadden Sea should be avoided;
(iii) the Precautionary Principle, i.e. to take action
to avoid activities which are assumed to have significant damaging
impact on the environment, even where there is no sufficient
scientific evidence to prove a causal link between activities
and their impact;
(iv) the Principle of Translocation, i.e. to translocate
activities which are harmful to the Wadden Sea environment to
areas where they will cause less environmental impact;
(v) the Principle of Compensation, i.e. that the harmful
effect of activities which cannot be avoided, must be balanced
by compensatory measures; in those parts of the Wadden Sea where
the Principle has not yet been implemented compensatory measures
will be aimed for;
(vi) the Principle of Restoration, i.e. that, where possible,
parts of the Wadden Sea should be restored if it can be demonstrated
by reference studies that the actual situation is not optimal,
and that the original state is likely to be re established;
(vii) the Principles of Best Available Technology and
Best Environmental Practice, as defined by the Paris Commission.
4 The participants agree to address a set of common ecological
targets and a comprehensive set of measures to achieve these
targets at the 7th Trilateral Governmental Conference.
5 The participants agree to undertake the necessary steps
to establish a coherent special conservation area covered by
a coordinated management plan for the Wadden Sea, stretching
from Esbjerg to Den Helder, taking into account especially the
requirements of the EC Bird Directive 79/409/EC, the forthcoming
Habitat Directive and the Ramsar Convention.
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COMMON OBJECTIVES
The participants underline
that the main aim of the trilateral cooperation is the protection
of the Wadden Sea as a nature area. The participants are conscious
that the Wadden Sea area is an area where people live, work and
recreate and that in this respect there is a need for a common
strategy for the human use of the area, based upon the above
principles.
They therefore agree:
SEA DEFENCE, SALT MARSH MANAGEMENT AND DUNE
PROTECTION
6 To further harmonize the interests of nature protection
and sea defence measures, taking into account that the safety
of the inhabitants is essential and to this end
6.1 to prohibit, in principle, embankment and to minimize unavoidable
loss of biotopes by sea defence measures;
6.2 to adequately protect salt marshes and dunes in order to
allow natural processes to take place within these habitats,
with special emphasis on flora and fauna;
6.3 to aim for the restoration of salt marshes by opening summer
dikes, provided that it fits into the ecological target of the
region;
6.4 to apply best environmental practice in salt marsh and dune
protection and development;
6.5 to stop the application of fertilizers and pesticides and
other toxic substances on the salt marshes.
HARBOR AND INDUSTRIAL FACILITIES
7 To avoid new, not yet approved plans for the extension
or major modifications of harbor and industrial facilities immediately
adjacent to the Wadden Sea. In principle such measures should
only be allowed to take place at inland sites and under strict
environmental conditions according to applicable law.
SHIPPING
8 To increase their efforts towards the elimination of operational
pollution and the minimization of accidental discharges by
8.1 the establishment of a system to provide information concerning
vessels carrying hazardous substances;
8.2 reducing the incineration of ships operational garbage and
enforcing disposal on the shore;
8.3 making available adequate facilities for the reception of
harmful wastes and garbage from ships in the Wadden Sea ports
at reasonable costs or without charging the individual ship,
ensuring that the best environmental objectives are met and that
high standards of service are performed;
8.4 imposing speed limits within the Wadden Sea where such are
deemed necessary by the authorities responsible, taking safety
and environmental factors into account;
8.5 prohibiting hovercraft within the Wadden Sea; this item will
be discussed again at the next Wadden Sea Governmental Conference;
8.6 welcoming the initiative of the Netherlands within the IMO,
which aims at adequate measures to minimize the detrimental effects
of lipophilic substances as soon as possible, recognizing the
harmful effects these substances have on sea- and coastal birds.
DREDGING ACTIVITIES
9 To welcome the "Guidelines for the Management of
dredged material", which have been adopted by the Oslo Commission
in its meeting in June 1991 and to fully implement these guidelines
in the Wadden Sea and to this end
9.1 to cooperate in developing national criteria with regard
to dredging operations and disposal of dredged material in accordance
with these guidelines;
9.2 to consider the need to harmonize these sets of criteria
if differences based on natural variations in sediment quality
arise.
ENERGY RESOURCES
Exploration and exploitation of oil and gas
10 To limit those offshore activities that have an adverse
impact on the Wadden Sea environment and to this end
10.1 to aim at avoiding the construction of new installations
until 1994 and to allow for exemptions only where energy supply
interests prevail over adverse environmental impacts; with regard
to existing rights and concessions the participants will strive
and appeal energetically to the companies to refrain from exerting
these rights (moratorium);
10.2 to evaluate this approach at the next Governmental Wadden
Sea Conference;
10.3 to apply zero-discharges immediately or at the latest whenever
existing exploration and exploitation rights are to be renewed;
10.4 to make the exploration and exploitation of energy resources
in the adjacent areas of the North Sea up to 12 nautical miles
offshore in principle subject to zero-discharges into the sea
of oil contaminated cuttings and to use the best practicable
means of cleaning of other contaminated cuttings and substances;
10.5 to avoid in principle the construction of new pipelines
and the planning of new location lines, unless already approved,
and to allow exemptions only if they can be justified by considerable
environmental and energy supply interests in consideration of
the common good;
10.6 to only carry out seismic investigations in the Wadden Sea
using the best available methods and at such times so as to ensure
a minimal disturbance of fish, birds and seals.
Wind energy
11 To acknowledge the basically positive contribution of
wind energy with regard to the environment and nature conservation,
and also acknowledge the conservation of birds and the scenic
quality of the landscape when generating wind energy and to this
end
11.1 to prohibit the construction of wind turbines in the Wadden
Sea seaward of the seawalls and the coastline;
11.2 to take into particular consideration the maintenance and
protection of the Wadden Sea's overall character regarding ecology
and scenic quality, in the framework of individual assessments,
when wind energy installations are constructed on the islands
and in a zone adjacent to the Wadden Sea.
EXTRACTION OF SAND AND CLAY
12 To minimize the impact of the extraction of sand and clay
in the Wadden Sea in order to meet the aims of undisturbed sedimentation
processes, and to this end
12.1 to limit the extraction of sand to the dredging and maintenance
of shipping lanes or for sea defence purposes, preferably combining
these two activities, or to take measures aiming at such a situation
in considerable parts of the Wadden Sea;
12.2 to only use sand from the North Sea for the supplementation
of sand lost from the coasts of the barrier islands;
12.3 to allow the small scale extraction of clay for sea-defence
measures in cases of urgent and sudden need only in cases where
no other deposits are available behind the dikes.
FISHERIES
Cockle fishery
13 To be aware of the negative ecological effects caused
by the cockle fishery, that cockle fishery will be ended in the
German part of the Wadden Sea by 01.03.92, and that cockle fishery
in Denmark will only be carried out in quite specific, well-defined
areas.
14 To limit or reduce the negative ecological effects
of cockle fishery in the Dutch part of the Wadden Sea by
14.1 closing permanently considerable parts including intertidal
and subtidal areas;
14.2 taking appropriate technical and management measures.
Mussel fishery
15 To limit the negative ecological impact of mussel fishery
on the Wadden Sea environment and to this end
15.1 to close considerable parts of the Wadden Sea, including
intertidal and subtidal areas.
Fin-fish fisheries
16 To express concern about the incidental bycatch of marine
mammals in fishing gears, and to investigate possibilities for
technical improvements to minimize this threat to wildlife in
the Wadden Sea.
RECREATION
17 To maintain the recreational values of the Wadden Sea
area and to this end
17.1 to establish zones covering the most sensitive areas where
no recreational activities including excursion ships and recreational
boating is allowed;
17.2 to concentrate recreation pressure by allowing ships to
stay only within 200 m of the nearest channel at low water;
17.3 to impose a speed limit on recreational boats outside the
designated shipping routes;
17.4 to prohibit the use of hovercraft and jet scooters;
17.5 to limit the use of jet skis, water skis and similar motorized
equipment to small designated areas;
17.6 to avoid new marinas and to allow extension of the existing
marina capacity only within the approved levels.
HUNTING
18 To reduce the disturbance to wildlife caused by hunting
in the Wadden Sea area, and to this end
18.1 to progressively phase out hunting of migratory species
in the Wadden Sea;
18.2 to evaluate the issue at the next Governmental Conference;
18.3 to allow hunting of non-migratory species only if it can
be made clear that migratory species are not harmed;
18.4 to prohibit the use of lead pellets in the Wadden Sea area
by February 1993.
CIVIL AIR TRAFFIC
19 To limit the impact of civil air traffic on the Wadden
Sea, and to this end
19.1 to prohibit the building of new civil airports in the Wadden
Sea area;
19.2 to restrict the rebuilding and expansion of existing civil
airports in the Wadden Sea area to cases where this is essential
in order to increase the safety of air traffic;
19.3 to establish a minimum flight altitude of 1500 to 2000 feet
(450 - 600 m) in the Wadden Sea area and to establish flight
corridors in less vulnerable parts of the area, where a minimum
flight altitude of 700 feet (210 m) on working days and 1000
feet (300 m) during weekends is valid;
19.4 to prohibit the use of ultra-light aircraft in the Wadden
Sea area with the exception of scientific and enforcement purposes;
this item will be discussed again at the next Wadden Sea Governmental
Conference;
19.5 to establish helicopter flight routes and altitudes in such
a way that disturbance to wildlife is minimized;
19.6 to prohibit in principle advertisement flights.
MILITARY ACTIVITIES
20 To further reduce the impact of military activities and
to this end
20.1 to reduce the negative effects of low altitude flight routes
of military aircraft by reducing the number of flights and reducing
the maximum speed;
20.2 to examine the possibilities of concentrating and/or phasing
out military activities in the Wadden Sea on the basis of a study
of their environmental impacts:
(i) to concentrate shooting ranges near Den Helder, the Netherlands;
(ii) to combine activities of Noordvaarder (Terschelling) and
Vliehors (Vlieland), the Netherlands;
(iii) to phase out the shooting ranges at the Meldorfer Bucht
and Sylt;
20.3 to take coordinated action to minimize disturbance caused
by military air traffic in the Wadden Sea area;
20.4 to give high priority to the assignment of redundant shooting
ranges as nature protection areas.
INPUT OF POLLUTING SUBSTANCES
21 To welcome the decisions reached at the Third International
North Sea Conference regarding the reduction of the inputs of
hazardous substances and the phasing out of PCBs, and in addition
agree
21.1 to achieve a significant reduction (of 50% or more) of total
inputs (via all pathways) of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
(PAHs) and organotin compounds, between 1985 and 1995, provided
the use of best available techniques makes such a reduction possible;
21.2 to take measures to phase out and to destroy in an environmentally
safe manner hazardous PCB-substitutes by 1995;
21.3 to examine the possibilities of designating the catchment
area of the Wadden Sea a sensitive area according to the EC Nitrate
and Municipal Waste Water Directives.
CLIMATIC CHANGES AND SEA LEVEL RISE
22 To acknowledge that the possible climatic changes and
sea level rise, resulting from the enhanced greenhouse effect,
may result in significant changes in the ecosystem and the functions
of the Wadden Sea and therefore welcome the important work of
the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the
UNCED Climate Convention and support the actions mentioned in
the Noordwijk Declaration on Atmospheric Pollution and Climatic
Change (November 1989). Furthermore agree
22.1 to express their concern about the possible ecological damage
due to the greenhouse-effect, especially the loss of biotopes
or species through sea level rise or increase in water temperature;
22.2 to stress the need for research and information about the
effects and risks of the expected changes, and about possible
adaptive measures;
22.3 to devote one of the next working conferences or a workshop
to these questions.
RESTORATION OF THE WADDEN SEA AND
REINTRODUCTION OF SPECIES
23 To develop plans for restoring parts of the Wadden
Sea if it can be shown by scientific research that the actual
values and actual functions of the Wadden Sea are not satisfactory
and if it is in accordance with the general objectives.
24 To continue the efforts to reintroduce the houting
into the Wadden Sea area on a coordinated basis.
SPECIES PROTECTION
Red List Marine Species and Biotopes
25 To broaden and intensify the protection of plants and
animals, and to this end agree
25.1 to develop a Red List of marine and coastal species and
biotopes in the Wadden Sea area covering the three member states
which points out the endangered species, both within the Wadden
Sea taken as an entity and in separate areas of each Wadden Sea
country;
25.2 to develop common conservation objectives for such species
and biotopes and to take appropriate action for their protection
by implementing special programs if these can prevent the extinction
of such animals, and by taking general measures to improve the
environment as a whole.
Conservation of Seals and Small Cetaceans
26 To welcome the Conservation and Management Plan for the
Wadden Sea Seal Population 1991-1995, which has been elaborated
in accordance with art. 4 of the Agreement on the Conservation
of Seals in the Wadden Sea.
27 To investigate which additional measures can be taken
for the protection of the grey seal.
28 To welcome the Agreement on the Conservation of Small
Cetaceans of the Baltic and the North Sea, and to cooperate closely
with its respective bodies where appropriate.
WARDENING OF THE WADDEN SEA
29 To ensure that adequate wardening of the whole Wadden
Sea will be established guided by the common standards as set
out in Annex 1, before the next Governmental Conference.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT
30 To intend to harmonize environmental impact assessment
(EIA) with regard to the activities in the Wadden Sea region,
without prejudice to the existing national legislation, taking
into account the EC Directive 85/337 concerning the Assessment
of the Environmental Impact of Certain Public and Private Projects,
and noting the ECE Convention on EIA (Helsinki, 1990).
31 To inform and, where necessary to consult with other
Wadden Sea States, whenever an environmental impact assessment
is executed for projects which might have significant adverse
impact within the Wadden Sea area.
MUTUAL ASSISTANCE
32 To investigate the possibilities for the development of
a system of mutual assistance and/or exchange of information
in cases of major accidents or other incidents which could lead
to pollution of the Wadden Sea and with regards to other problems
such as epidemics.
COOPERATION IN THE FIELD OF MONITORING AND SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH
33 To cooperate in scientific research and monitoring with
respect to the Wadden Sea by
33.1 elaborating a harmonized program of studies on items of
special interest and in particular with respect to the common
protection of the area;
33.2 welcoming the recommendations of the working group on the
development of a common Wadden Sea Monitoring Program and instructing
the Trilateral Working Group (TWG) to further implement the Program
in accordance with the terms of reference as elaborated by the
Trilateral Working Group;
33.3 designating sufficiently large areas, spread evenly over
the Wadden Sea, where all exploitation and all disturbing activities
are banned and which can serve as reference areas for scientific
purposes;
33.4 cooperating in the evaluation and publication of the results
of all international waterfowl counts since 1980 for the entire
Wadden Sea on a coordinated basis according to a joint project,
within the resources available.
COOPERATION IN THE FIELD OF PUBLIC INFORMATION
34 To cooperate within the realms of public information work
with the aim of increasing the awareness of the general public
to the problems facing the Wadden Sea environment as a whole
and in order to investigate the possibilities
34.1 of establishing a cooperation between the main public information
and education centers of the Wadden Sea area;
34.2 of exchanging exhibitions and other adequate information
between the centers.
COOPERATION WITH RESPECT TO INTERNATIONAL FORA
World Heritage Convention
35 To acknowledge that the Wadden Sea would benefit from
inclusion in the World Heritage List of the Convention for the
Protection of the Cultural and Natural Heritage (1972),as is
stated in the report on the potential designation of the Wadden
Sea as a World Heritage Site and to this end to develop a joint
proposal for the nomination of the Wadden Sea in the World Heritage
List.
Ramsar Convention
36 To continue to support the activities of the Convention
on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl
Habitat (Ramsar Convention, 1971) in particular with respect
to the wise use issue and the cooperation on the protection of
shared wetlands.
37 To examine whether it is possible in terms of ecological
values to delimitate the Wadden Sea region on a common basis
according to Article 2.1 of the Ramsar Convention.
38 To investigate whether zoning can be used to improve
the protection of the Wadden Sea with respect to:
(i) the designation of buffer areas adjacent to the Wadden Sea
area (both landward and seaward) in order to enable a better
regulation of activities outside the Wadden Sea which could have
an impact on the Wadden Sea ecosystem;
(ii) the need to harmonize zoning measures within the Wadden
Sea, including the designation of special protection zones.
Flyway Co-operation
39 To recognize that the Ramsar Convention Conference, 1990,
and the Western Palearctic Waterfowl Agreement currently considered
in the framework of the Bonn Convention, call for the establishment
of partnerships between wetlands and parties to protect waterfowl
and wetlands.
40 To acknowledge that the Wadden Sea is a core area for
the migrating waterfowl of the East Atlantic Flyway and to this
end agree on the necessity for a common approach with regard
to the protection of migrating waterfowl in the whole range of
the flyway and further agree to carry out a feasibility study
into monitoring and cooperation, acknowledging the existing and
ongoing bilateral cooperation between the USSR and Germany and
the USSR and the Netherlands.
European Community
41 To work towards integrating the protection of the Wadden
Sea into the environmental policies of the European Communities
by
41.1 examining the developments of the internal market in relation
to the protection of the Wadden Sea;
41.2 promoting the designation of the Wadden Sea as a special
conservation area according to Annex 1 of the draft EC Directive
on the Protection of Natural and Semi-natural Habitats and of
Wild Fauna and Flora, when this comes into force;
41.3 examining the possibilities of cooperation on the national
and regional level supported by the EC, to enable a more comprehensive
protection of the Wadden Sea.
North Sea Conferences
42 To take notice of the invitation of the Third International
North Sea Conference to continue to report on the progress made
with respect to the protection of the Wadden Sea to the International
North Sea Conferences and to this end agree
42.1 to develop recommendations for further measures to the Fourth
International North Sea Conference in 1995 at the Seventh Trilateral
Governmental Conference on the Protection of the Wadden Sea (1994);
42.2 when assessing the need for such recommendations that special
attention will be paid to:
(i) the reduction of nutrients and other pollutants reaching
the Wadden Sea; and
(ii) the protection of other coastal, estuarine and open sea
areas (e.g. The Wash) which are also visited by bird populations
which use the Wadden Sea and which have strong similar interests
with regard to species and populations.
The Wash
43 To welcome the Memorandum of Intent between the Trilateral
Wadden Sea Cooperation and the English Nature on the Wash / North
Norfolk Coast and the Wadden Sea.
ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE FUTURE COOPERATION
With regard to future work, the participants made the following
arrangements:
The Netherlands will chair the Trilateral Cooperation on the
Protection of the Wadden Sea from January 1st, 1992.
The 7th Trilateral Governmental Conference on the Protection
of the Wadden Sea will be held in 1994 at the invitation of the
Government of the Netherlands.
This conference will address, inter alia:
a. the progress made in implementation of the Joint Declaration
on the Protection of the Wadden Sea;
b. the progress made in implementation of the common principles,
objectives and actions arising from the Declaration of the 6th
Trilateral Governmental Conference on the Protection of the Wadden
Sea;
c. the state of the Wadden Sea as stated in the Quality Status
Report of the Wadden Sea which will be finalized in 1993 as a
regional report of the overall North Sea Quality Status Report;
d. the need for further measures based upon the assessment of
the progress made and of the state of the Wadden Sea.
The 8th International Scientific Wadden Sea Symposium will
be held in 1992 and hosted by Denmark.
For the Government of the
Kingdom of Denmark
Mr. P. Stig Møller
For the Government of the
Federal Republic of Germany
Prof. Dr. K. Töpfer
For the Government of the
Kingdom of The Netherlands
Mr. J. D. Gabor
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ANNEX 1
COMMON STANDARDS FOR THE WARDENING OF THE WADDEN SEA
1. To ensure the
adequate wardening of the whole Wadden Sea the following standards
should be implemented:
a. some wardens should be employed, on a full time basis, by
the state nature conservation authorities;
b. their duties should be to:
- ensure that the area under their supervision is adequately
protected and to monitor possible environmental changes within
its borders;
- maintain contact with local authorities and user-groups;
- disseminate information to the general public;
- ensure the implementation of the provisions of the nature conservation
laws; and
- give a substantial annual report on the area under their supervision;
c. they should be issued with sufficient authority and state
employed wardens should have executive power.
2. In addition to the state employed wardens a number
of voluntary wardens should be appointed.
3. Each national park, nature reserve and other protected
area should have an adequate number of wardens to provide continuous
on-site wardening in the Wadden Sea area. They should be sufficiently
well equipped with vessels, vehicles etc. to carry out their
duties.
4. The wardens should be based in the local communities
and should have an adequate education in order to be able to
carry out their duties. Training programs should be established
to maintain and improve wardening standards, personal status
and skills.
5. One of the most important duties of the warden is to
inform user-groups and visitors to comply with the regulations
of protected areas. This includes the provision of adequate on-site
information and interpretive material.
6. Wardening systems should coordinate their activities
and cooperate with other authorities, e.g. fisheries, pollution
control, police, coastal protection agencies, and private nature
organizations to achieve efficient implementation of regulations
and by-laws.
7. A coordinating committee should be established by the
authority which employs the wardens in order to bring together
representatives of other organizations and exchange information
on a regular basis. An efficient communication network should
also be established.
8. Cross-border cooperation in wardening should be promoted
between countries and states in the Wadden Sea area.
9. Each area should adopt a wardening plan reviewed at
regular intervals.
10. Wardening systems developed in other protected areas
could be used as examples for the Wadden Sea.
11. Wardens in the Wadden Sea should be equipped with
photo equipment, in order to be able to control flight altitudes
and flight routes. Military monitoring of flight altitudes of
jet fighters, e.g. by the Sky-Guard-System, should be intensified.
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